PowerUp 3.0 Kickstarter

From Greg
My favorite thing is a good Kickstarter campaign. Yesterday I signed up to support the PowerUp 3.0 campaign at the $40 level. This is a blue tooth device you attach to a paper airplane that allows you to remote control it. WOW! AMAZING! You had me at HELLO!

From Developer
PowerUp 3.0 turns your self-made paper airplane into a smartphone-controlled flying machine.


PowerUp Toys has introduced a new form of play by meshing origami classics with technology. This time we took a big leap forward, by integrating state-of-the-art Bluetooth Smart technology into our PowerUp design. Now you can easily control a simple homemade paper airplane with your smartphone. Say hello to the World’s First Smartphone Controlled Paper Airplane - PowerUp 3.0.

We have made major improvements over  the past months. Now we are ready to start production and put this innovative toy in your hands. By backing us on Kickstarter - the leading crowd funding platform - you will help us reach our minimum order goal. In return we will give you a reward. On the right hand side you can see the various pledge and reward options. To get more information press here.

1 -Fold It: Simply fold a piece of copier paper into a paper airplane
2 - Attach It: Attach the Smart Module to your paper plane with the patented clips underneath the Smart Module.
3 - Connect It: Start the app to connect to the Smart Module with your iPhone.
4 - Fly It: Push throttle to full and launch the paper airplane high up into the sky. Tilt your smartphone to the left or to the right to steer your plane, increase or reduce throttle to go up or down.

- Crash-proof carbon fiber frame 
- Precision control for easy flying 
- Automatic thrust to assist when banking
- Lithium Polymer Battery provides 10 minute of flight on one charge

- Ascend/Descend using the throttle lever
- Tilt iPhone right or left for maneuvering
- Battery level indicator
- Charging status indicator
- Range indicator
- Thrust level indicator
- Artificial horizon
- Air Traffic Control (ATC)  

Related articles

• PowerUp 3.0 Is A Bluetooth Module That Turns A Paper Plane Into A Lean, Mean App-Controlled Flying Machine
• PowerUp 3.0 is a Smartphone Controlled Airplane That's Received $947k in Funding
• PowerUp racks up $850K on Kickstarter for iPhone-controlled paper airplanes
• PowerUp 3.0 Lets You Fly a Paper Airplane Using Your iPhone [Video]

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CES Booth Babes and Boys

Pictures follow the story below.

Slate ran a story about CES Booth Babes so I thought I would put together a montage. Read the full story HERE

By Alicia Fremling
Little is more off-putting than being hit on by a married man, yet as I helped adjust for a potential customer the newly designed earphones—guaranteed not to fall out while providing a superior sound experience—he leaned in and whispered, “You smell nice.” My paid response was to smile sweetly and squeak “Thank you!” in an overly excited voice. It's simply part of the job as a brand representative (aka booth babe).

With the excitement of the new products from the annual CES in Las Vegas comes the perennial debate over booth babes. Is the role truly degrading to the women working the booths? What about the women attending the show? Do booth babes really help drive quality foot traffic? Or simply awkward gawkers and sex-crazed bloggers who publish annual galleries of the booth babes?

Throughout college, I held many part-time jobs, but few were as lucrative and easy as a brand representative at conferences and trade shows. These gigs paid a good hourly rate ($25-$50 per hour) and were not nearly as demeaning as other high-paid, low-barrier jobs such as shot girl or go-go dancer. At trade shows, generally the bastards weren't that drunk.

What defines a particular trade show experience is not necessarily the politeness or vulgarity of the trade show attendees, but rather the company's expectations of the brand representative. If the hiring company simply expects eye candy, it leaves the “booth babe” with little to cultivate potential customers besides looking pretty and small talk. We're left objectified at the same level as the other booth props and displays.

However, if the company expects these women to be additional marketing representatives and provides adequate training and education on the product(s) and company represented, it becomes a more empowering experience. It allows us to have a voice to educate and engage potential customers.

Coming into any given brand representative gig, it is usually evident what type of experience to expect based on the job description and application process. If a job posting requests three full-body photos, it’s clearly a booth babe gig. However, if a description expects previous sales experience or the ability to learn quickly and requires some training (even a 30-minute crash course helps), it's likely to be a genuine brand representative experience. A rep can be sexy by being smart and knowledgeable about a product.

My brand representative experiences exposed me to industries I wouldn't have otherwise encountered. For example, I once represented a cybersecurity training product and learned about the challenges that major corporations face in educating employees about cybersecurity standards. It was valuable training and could help me in my career one day. More of the companies at shows like CES should realize that some of the young women they employ as “booth babes” could actually be valuable assets to their companies.

I learned a lot, good and bad, during my tenure as a brand representative. But when I think back about my time, I realize that the most degrading part of my experience was the infantilizing title “booth babe” itself.

Photo Gallery

Justin Bieber unveils toy for Hanoi company

 Russian CBOSS girls in Barcelona, February 2006.

Computex 2009

Computex 2009

Computex 2010

CeBIT 2011

2011 CES Las Vegas

A model stands next to Samsung Ultra HD TV at CES 2013.
(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

3M shows off Multi-Touch technology in their booth at CES 2012
UPI/Terry Schmitt

Rapper 50 Cent signs autographs in the SMS Audio booth at CES 2012
UPI/Terry Schmitt

Model at CES 2012

CES 2013 Booth Babes (Photo credit: james | studiosushi™)

CES 2013 Booth Babes (Photo credit: james | studiosushi™)

CES 2013 Booth Babes (Photo credit: james | studiosushi™)

CES 2013 - Hyper's Body-Painted Models (Photo credit: nodomain1)

CES 2013 Booth Boy and Babes (Photo credit: james | studiosushi™)

Related articles

• The spectacle of CES in pictures (photo gallery)
• The 2014 Consumer Electronics Show: 8 Trends to Watch
• CES 2014 preview: What we're looking forward to in Las Vegas
• What Our Tech-y Future Holds
• Alt.CES 2010 - MAKE's take on gadget mania

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CES 2014 Last Gadget Standing

See the winners of the Mobile Apps Showdown 2014

Gary Dell’Abate and Jon Hein

Day three of the 2014 CES was highlighted by the Last Gadget Standing and Mobile Apps Showdown competitions. The Last Gadget Standing competition challenged contenders to present fast-paced product demos to a live CES audience. Co- hosts Gary Dell’Abate and Jon Hein from SiriusXM Radio’s Howard Stern channels hosted the competition, and winners were selected through an applause-o-meter. 

The winner of the product “most likely to change the face of technology,” was a Bluetooth-enabled deadbolt that is managed through a smart phone. A separate online vote awarded the top prize to the Skulpt Aim, a body fat/muscle-quality measurement device. A full list of finalists is available here.

Password Box, a password management app with a social twist, took home the top prize at the 2014 Mobile Apps Showdown sponsored by Living in Digital Times. The fully-encrypted app lets you instantly login to your go-to websites and apps without having to type in your password. You can also track credit cards, passports and other sensitive data and securely share information with friends through the app. 

Download the Passwordbox app for Android HERE

Emceed by Gary Dell'Abate and Jon Hein from Sirius XM, the showdown featured four-minute elevator-pitch-style presentations from 10 semifinalist app developers, selected ahead of time by a team of expert panelists and Living in Digital Times readers.  The winner was chosen by crowd applause. 

Ballerz, an app that helps players find pickup basketball games in their area based on skill level, was the online showdown winner. Ballerz was developed by a group of active duty naval officers who found that playing sports reduced stress and boosted morale on the base. A complete list of semi-finalists and ”app-reneurs” can be found online.

About CES
The International CES is the world’s gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technologies. It has served as the proving ground for innovators and breakthrough technologies for more than 40 years—the global stage where next-generation innovations are introduced to the marketplace. As the largest hands-on event of its kind, CES features all aspects of the industry. And because it is owned and produced by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the technology trade association representing the $208 billion U.S. consumer electronics industry, it attracts the world’s business leaders and pioneering thinkers to a forum where the industry’s most relevant issues are addressed. Follow CES online at www.CESweb.org.

Related articles

• DISH's New Virtual Joey Earns Best of CES 2014: Best Video Product Award
• Living in Digital Times Announces Winners of Last Gadget Standing & Mobile Apps Showdown at 2014 International CES
• Tech Leaders from Twitter, Facebook, MediaLink, Salesforce, MillerCoors and Ford Illuminate CES Keynote Stage; Last Gadget Standing and Mobile Apps Showdown Winners Announced at 2014 CES
• Living in Digital Times Announces 2014 Mobile Apps Showdown Finalists

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Ozobot Unveiled

From Greg
The search for great items at CES 2014 continues. 

Here is a mini robot that can play games with you. The company has a Kickstarter campaign starting in January. They hope to sell the robot for $59.99.

Read the full story at mashable.com HERE

From Developer
Ingeniously Fun.
Ozobot is the world’s smallest smart robot that plays on both physical and digital platforms. Ozobot has an intelligent ability to follow, recognize and react to multiple codes on both physical and digital paths and can communicate through color light sequence feedback.

Ozobot Aims to Intrigue, Challenge and Entertain.
Ozobot is the intelligent robot revolutionizing digital gaming. Through its patent pending technology, Ozobot can recognize over 1000 different instructions, reading different line and light colors on boards, paper and digital tablet screens. With four free app games available for download on iOS and Android at launch, Ozobot aims to intrigue, challenge and entertain its owners and bring back the fun to “game night.”

Ozobot is the world's smallest line-following robot measuring slightly over 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter and height. It can follow lines not only on non-light-emitting physical surfaces but also on digital screens such as tablet devices. Moreover, Ozobot automatically detects whether it is driving on a physical or a digital surface and is capable to seamlessly transition between one and the other.

Goto the developer web site at ozobot.com

From Mashable
Ozobot, a game-playing robot, wants you to get physical with digital games — and it could be on to something.

According to a recent study by the Entertainment Software Association, more than half (58%) of all Americans play video games, which may lead some to believe that fewer people are playing physical board games. On the other hand, the same study says 34% of online gamers play puzzles, board games, game shows, trivia and card games, which suggests many still yearn for some old-school gaming.

These findings could help explain the motivation to develop a product like Ozobot. It’s a tiny, one-inch-tall robot designed to work on top of tablet and smartphone screens, as well on as paper. What's more, it will follow both digital and physical lines that players draw on the fly, and can even reportedly tell the difference between a digital and physical surface.

“We set out to breathe new life into game night –- that experience which, as an individual or as a group of friends –- has become a bit tired and repetitive between board and video games,” said Nader Hamda, CEO of Ozobot.

Related articles

• CES: Meet Ozobot, the tiny gaming robot for your iPad
• Bored Of Board Games? Never!
• 17 Signs You're A Board Game Bully
• Board Game Recommendations
• The tiny Ozobot line-following robot is high-tech creative fun

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